Wednesday,
November 15, 2006
MORAVIAN WOMEN’S BASKETBALL SQUAD
PICKED SECOND IN
COMMONWEALTH CONFERENCE PRESEASON COACHES POLL
ANNVILLE, PA --- The Moravian College women’s basketball
team has been selected to finish second in the Commonwealth Conference
in the 2006-7 Commonwealth Conference Preseason Poll conducted by
the conference coaches released Wednesday. Moravian received 52
points and two first place votes, trailing only defending conference
champion Messiah College, which garnered 56 points and six first
place votes.
Head coach Mary Beth Spirk enters her 20th season
at Moravian with an experienced team that has ten letterwinners
and three starters returning from last year’s 21-7 squad,
which made the NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament
last season before falling in the first round. The Greyhounds, who
have played for the Commonwealth Conference Championship the last
four seasons, have received votes in the Preseason Top 25 by both
D3hoops.com and the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association.
Key players within that returning nucleus include senior forward
Kelly Applegate (Easton, PA/Wilson HS), who was
named Commonwealth Conference Player of the Year and to the All
Conference Team. Applegate was also Kodak/Women’s
Basketball Coaches Association All-America Basketball Team Honorable
Mention and Honorable Mention All-American from Women’s
DIII News. Applegate, who was also named to
the ECAC Division III South All-Star First Team, led the Greyhounds
in points and rebounds with 19.1 points per game and 7.6 rebounds
per game. She also had 43 steals, 37 assists, 26 blocked shots and
five three pointers. Before the 2006-07 season began, Applegate
has named to the D3hoops.com Preseason All-America Fourth Team and
a Preseason All-American by Women's DIII News.
Also back is senior forward Jenny Hackleman (Arroyo Grande,
CA/Rutgers Prep [NJ] HS), who averaged 10.5 points and
5.9 rebounds each game. She also added 51 assists, 44 steals and
a team high 30 blocks. Classmate guard Katie Rizman (Wall,
NJ/St. Rose HS) contributed 5.8 points and 2.4 rebounds
per game, along with 60 assists, 38 steals, eight blocks and 19
three-pointers.
Other returnees include sophomore forward Rachelle Elneus
(Easton, PA/Notre Dame HS), who contributed 56 points,
32 rebounds, five assists, and five steals while junior guard
La'Toya Blake (Allentown, PA/Dieruff HS) scored 53 points.
Blake added 62 rebounds, 39 assists, two blocks and a team high
63 steals, and junior guard Megan Kocon (Bethlehem, PA/Liberty
HS) added 21 points, one rebound, two assists and two steals.
Elneus and Blake will both be
expected to make a large contribution to the Greyhounds’ success
this season.
Sophomore forward Cody Fedorishen (Nazareth, PA/Allentown
Central Catholic HS) had 11 points, 15 rebounds and three
assists while senior guard Kristina Adams (Belle Mead, NJ/Montgomery
HS) had 12 points, three rebounds, five assists and four
steals in her first year with the team. Sophomore guard Lindsey
Williams (Kingston, PA/Bishop O’Reilly HS) had two
points and one rebound while junior guard Tina Moll (Kintnersville,
PA/Palisades HS) had three points, three rebounds, two
assists, and one steal before an injury put her out for the season.
Key players in this years freshman class include Kirsty
Sterns (East Norwich, NY/Oyster Bay HS), a 6’1 post
player who Spirk expects to impact the team immediately, and 5’7
Jessica Foran (Annandale, NJ/Rutgers Prep HS) at
guard. Freshman forward Alyssa Bisci (Easton, PA/Easton
HS) and freshman guard Kate Harrison (Cold Spring
Harbor, NY/Cold Spring Harbor HS) are also expected to
see playing time.
The Greyhounds begin the 2006-07 season at the Johns Hopkins University
Tip-Off Tournament in Baltimore on Saturday, November 18th versus
Ferrum (VA) College.
2006-07 Commonwealth Conference Women’s
Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll
Rank |
School (first-place votes) |
Points |
1. |
Messiah College (6) |
56 |
2. |
Moravian College (2) |
52 |
3. |
Susquehanna University |
42 |
4. |
Albright College |
36 |
5. |
Lebanon Valley College |
28 |
6. |
Juniata College |
27 |
7. |
Widener University |
23 |
8. |
Elizabethtown College |
16 |
|